1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an external fixator for repairing fractured bones. In particular, the invention relates to a fixator having a flexible spine that can be tightened and made rigid after the fixator is attached to the bones.
2. The Prior Art
Fractured bones are often set with external fixating devices. These devices comprise a plurality of pins or screws that are inserted into the fractured bones, and which are then attached to a pin holder, which fixes the bones in a stationary position. Many pin holders consist of rigid arms that may or may not be pivotable at selected points. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,076 to Comte et al. This device shows two segments of a pin holder that are pivotally connected to a central connecting device. Another such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,913 to Castaman et al, which shows two rigid pin holders that are pivotally connected to each other.
Various other splints are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,077 to DeBastiani et al., 5,320,622 to Faccioli et al., and 5,788,695 to Richardson et al. While all of these devices are capable of setting bones, they suffer from the drawback that the pin holders are not adjustable enough to obtain the best positioning for setting the bones.